Training Based in Adult Learning Theory

Marianne Winters is a leader in the movement to end and address sexualized and domestic violence and is passionate about progressive movements that are visionary, inclusive, current, responsive and proactive. Some would say that she’s “all over the place”. She prefers to say that she thrives on variety and is energized by the multi-faceted, never ending, interconnected and always exciting work of social change. She is the Project Diva for Graphix for Change and consultant and trainer for Praxis for Change.

I’ve been working on organizing a 3-day training for Law Enforcement officers and advocates on the current issues in sexual and domestic violence. As I recruit faculty and talk to them about their role and their presentations, I’m constantly aware and respectful of the important responsibility in this task. We have some ambitious and important hopes for this training that boil down to a police force in my state that is more aware, more skilled, and better in tune with the needs of victims of crime and the behavior of perpetrators of crime. I’m well aware of the life and death issues at stake. Teaching adults who are already good at their jobs and have already had life experiences is the task at hand. It starts with setting our own objectives based on a vision of transformation. It starts with understanding that training is indeed transformation. So we begin by thinking about what does the well-trained law enforcement professional look like? Then we must put in place the lectures, exercises, resources, discussions that help move us all in this direction. I offer this short slide show on adult learning theory. I hope it will give you some ideas and tools that will help make your next training engaging and effective. If you try any of these ideas, please let me know. As trainers and facilitators, we need each other to stay current, share our triumphs and our mistakes, get and receive feedback, and build our movements.

Are Your NonProfit Marketing Efforts Seeing Double?

Does your nonprofit organization suffer from blurry vision when it comes to marketing? Do you find yourself distracted by all the online marketing options? Do you feel you need 3D glasses just to create some clarity in your marketing efforts? You're not alone.

"Marketing the mission" is not for the weak hearted. It takes no small amount of focus, clarity and execution to maintain consistent messaging in all your nonprofit marketing efforts. And with the addition of online marketing and social media, a whole new world has opened up. It can be overwhelming, to say the least, to keep your voice strong, consistent and targeted to your mission. Here are three simple ways you can do this, starting today:

1. Optimize your website for your mission's keywords.

Look at your mission and pull out the key phrases that you might expect someone to search for you under. If you provide housing referrals in Boston, for example, a good keyword phrase might be "homeless in Boston."

Look at your website copy, and add that phrase to a page tile, a subhead, and a few times in the body copy. Then make sure you've added it to your meta-description tag as well (your webmaster can do this for you; contact me if you need help).

What this does is make it more likely that someone entering the phrase "homeless in Boston" will see your website.

2. "Missionize" your Twitter account

(You don't have one for your agency? Set one up; it's free and simple). Add your logo, and use your mission statement as your "account profile." This is a simple way to tie your nonprofit marketing efforts into your overall mission.

Don't worry for now about what you'll tweet or who will follow you. Just get it set up and make your first Tweet.

3. Make a blog post that clarifies or expands on your mission.

Just a few paragraphs are all you need, talking about your organization and how it serves to change the world.

Don't have a blog? Borrow one! Look for other blogs in your field, and ask if you could make a "guest post" in theirs. It's done all the time; the blog owner will appreciate having a new point of view, and you'll gain some new eyes on your nonprofit marketing message.

The key to a consolidated nonprofit marketing approach is to see the mission clearly, above all else. Twitter, blogging, the annual report, your website, brochures for donors...these are all simply different forms of tools we use to get the message across.

So put on your 3D glasses, get the big picture, and focus back on your mission. The rest will fall into place.

Resource Sharing Project Launches with New Logo

The Resource Sharing Project was created to help sexual assault state coalitions across the country access the resources they need to develop and thrive. They provide technical assistance, support, and facilitate peer-driven resources for all sexual assault state coalitions.

We are thrilled to support this important work by designing a logo for their new project, Enhancing Sexual Assault Services: A Demonstration Initiative (ESAS). ESAS seeks to help existing programs do their work better, by sharing the resources that already exist. It’s not about coming in and telling them how it’s done; it’s about listening, understanding, sharing ideas and building new approaches. It is offered in a spirit of deep appreciation and respect for the hard work they are currently doing.

• Enhancing Sexual Assault Services seeks to change the mindset of existing domestic violence service providers, to help them understand that sexual violence is a distinct issue apart from domestic violence.
• It seeks to change or expand their focus to include previously under-served communities; i.e. teens, males, LGBT, adult survivors of childhood abuse.
• It further seeks to change the discussion in communities and the media, to acknowledge that sexual assault and abuse happens everywhere, and must be acknowledged before any lasting change can be made.

We are honored to be a part of their work to change the world.